Tire performance is generally diminished in wintery and snowy environments relative to dry weather. Features that improve such performance, whether the performance relates to stopping distance, cornering ability, the coefficient of friction between the tire and road, or other metrics, are therefore desirable. Further, in addition to performance improvement of a new tire in wintery and snowy environments, improvements in the ability of tires to perform in wintery or snowy environments during the entire wear life of the tire is also desirable.